1.13.2021

Video: Taleban Dooda – “Chosen” ft. T9ine

Two Rising Florida Emcees Connect in Tampa in the Video for Dooda’s Inspirational Trap Banger

Critical Praise:

“At only 18 years old.. his talents are already overly abundant and his potential is probably higher than most up and coming artists you could name off the top of your head.” – Lyrical Lemonade

“He falls into the lane of melodic street rap that acts like YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Durk, Teejay3k, and others are making, but his high-pitched vocals and limitless subject matter set him apart.” – Earmilk

The Song:

Making waves in the South and beyond with his vocal acrobatics, Taleban Dooda is intent on making 2021 his year. Teaming up with fellow Floridian T9ine for an anthem for the strivers, Dooda shares “Chosen,” his latest single. Produced by Gasky, “Chosen” layers gospel pianos and mournful saxophone atop thumping 808s, creating the perfect canvas for both emcees to open their hearts. The two emcees trade melodic verses, expressing gratitude that their God-given talents allowed them to escape the difficult circumstances of their birth: “It started as a dream to us/They ain’t believe in us/Don’t know what it mean to us/They always leavin’ us,” croons Dooda.

In the video, Dooda (who rocks a Tom Brady Bucs jersey) and T9ine squad up on Hillsborough Ave in Dooda’s native East Tampa. The camera alternates celebratory shots of the rappers chilling with their friends with artfully lo-fi clips from the picturesque Florida gulf coast landscape. His first new single of the year, “Chosen” follows the romantic “Problematic” and the TM88 & ATL Jacob-produced “Finish Him,” which notched over a million streams in its first week

Though Taleban Dooda only started rapping at the age of 15, the Tampa, FL native displayed a natural melodic ability that helped him stand out. After working hard behind the scenes to build a backlog of bangers and gain inroads in the local rap scene, Dooda scored a hit with “Tru Colors,” his first-ever release, racking up over 3 million streams, generating over 1 million views on its YouTube video, and reaching #18 on SoundCloud’s worldwide New & Hot chart. The teenager kept the momentum going with collaborations with his frequent rap partner Rees Money, and successful video singles like “2 In Da Morning” (930k views) and “Dis Dooda,” which Vice named as one of the 24 Best Songs of September. Stay tuned for much more from the Green Light Music Group/Rostrum Records signee as he continues to develop into one of the South’s most exciting rap talents.

Buy/Stream “Chosen” ft. T9ine: https://smarturl.it/TalebanDoodaChosen

Watch “Chosen” ft. T9ine: https://youtu.be/m__VzdnFqwI

Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.

The Background:

Taleban Dooda always had a voice–a combination of distinctly Floridian style and irresistibly catchy melody, has made the 18-year-old rapper one of the most exciting new rap voices coming out of the South. Hailing from East Tampa, Dooda had few options to avoid the violence that lurked outside his door. When he injured his knee in his 9th grade year, ending his football dreams, Dooda turned his attention to music. He began by recording himself covering other people’s songs — inspired by his love for artists like Bruno Mars, John Legend, and Sam Smith — before moving on to his own original compositions. Influenced by artists like NBA Youngboy, Polo G, and NoCap, Taleban Dooda decided to become a rapper.

For Dooda, 2020 was all about consistency, as he continued to drop a steady stream of strong singles throughout the year. In September, he released “Dis Dooda” — which VICE named one of the best songs of the month and Lyrical Lemonade highlighted on their site — and followed that up in November with the TM88 and ATL Jacob-produced “Finish Him.” Now, Dooda has his eyes set on the upcoming release of his debut album. With all this momentum, and all of Florida behind him, he doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon. “I’m just trying to keep dropping music,” he says. “I ain’t trying to take no breaks.”